Biology News

Study Reveals Origins of Manta Ray’s Horn-Like ‘Cephalic Lobes’

Manta rays. Image credit: Masako Uchida.
Dec 4, 2018 by News Staff

Manta rays and their relatives of the family Myliobatidae have massive, flapping fins as well as a pair of fleshy projections called cephalic lobes. A new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, shows that these two very different features have the same origin — a discovery that reflects an important lesson for understanding the diversity of life. Manta rays. Image credit: Masako Uchida. All types of fish have two...

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Toxeus magnus, adult female. Image credit: Chen et al, doi: 10.1126/science.aat3692.

Jumping Spider Mothers Secrete Milk-Like Substance to Feed Their Offspring

Nov 30, 2018 by News Staff

A team of scientists in China has discovered that females of a species of ant-mimicking jumping spider called Toxeus magnus secrete a nutritious milk-like...

This is the adult stage of the parasitoid wasp Zatypota sp.nov. Image credit: Philippe Fernandez-Fournier.

New Species of Parasitoid Wasp from Ecuador Turns Social Spiders into Zombies

Nov 28, 2018 by News Staff

Deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, a newly-identified species of the parasitoid wasp genus Zatypota transforms Anelosimus eximius, one of only about 25 species...

The lesser superb bird-of-paradise (Lophorina minor). Image credit: William Matthew Hart.

Among Birds-of-Paradise, Stunning Plumage Is Not Enough to Attract Mates

Nov 28, 2018 by News Staff

Birds-of-paradise are a family of small to medium-sized forest birds found in the New Guinea region. These birds are among the most beautiful creatures...

When it comes to meal times, giraffes have been found to be just like humans and prefer the company of their friends.

Study: Giraffes Prefer to Forage with Friends

Nov 27, 2018 by News Staff

While already known that giraffes display preferred choices of companion within their social group, until now it has not been clear what drives these and...

Dr. Noel and Dr. Hu discover structures on the cat tongue, hollow spines that they call cavo papillae, shared across six species of cats. Image credit: Pavel Kessa.

Spiny Tongues Help Cats Keep Cool, Says New Study

Nov 23, 2018 by News Staff

The cat tongue is covered in sharp, rear-facing spines called papillae, the precise function of which is a mystery. In a combined experimental and theoretical...

The termite mounds are found in dense, low, dry forest and can be seen when the land is cleared for pasture. Image credit: Roy Funch.

Scientists Find 3,820-Year-Old Termite Mounds in Brazil

Nov 22, 2018 by News Staff

An international team of entomologists has found that numerous termite mounds in Brazil are between 690 to 3,820 years old. The termite mounds are found...

The striking ‘trunk’ of the Peters’ elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii) is actually its chin that has numerous electroreceptors. Image credit: Maik Dobiey / University of Bonn.

Elephantnose Fish Use Electric Colors to Reliably Identify Prey, Study Says

Nov 21, 2018 by News Staff

An African freshwater fish species called the Peters’ elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii) generates weak electrical pulses to safely navigate its...

The Siberian willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus yakutensis). Image credit: Kristaps Sokolovskis.

Study: Siberian Willow Warblers Migrate Incredible 8,000 Miles One Way

Nov 20, 2018 by News Staff

A small songbird called the Siberian willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus yakutensis) holds a long-distance migration record in the 10-gram weight category...

Hemimastix kukwesjijk. Image credit: Lax et al, doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0708-8.

Newly-Discovered Protists Add New Branch to Tree of Eukaryotic Life

Nov 20, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers from Dalhousie University, Canada, has identified two previously undescribed species of hemimastigotes — members of the extremely...

A graphical rendition of a diving sperm whale using its echolocation. Image credit: Chris Johnson.

Study: Toothed Whales Use Sonic Equivalent of Flashlight to Echolocate Prey

Nov 16, 2018 by News Staff

Toothed whales — apex predators varying in size from 40-kg porpoises to 50-ton sperm whales — use narrow beams of high intensity sound to echolocate...

Raphia zamiana: a habitat along the road, with team member Dr. Raoul Niangadouma for scale, in Oyem, Gabon. Image credit: Thomas L.P. Couvreur.

Two New Palm Species Discovered in Africa

Nov 14, 2018 by Natali Anderson

An international team of botanists has discovered and described two new species of the African palm genus Raphia from Cameroon and Gabon. Raphia zamiana:...

Laumer et al show that orangutans can spontaneously innovate a hook tool out of a straight piece of wire to solve a novel problem. Image credit: Laumer et al, doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-34607-0.

Inventive Orangutans Make Hook Tools to Retrieve Food

Nov 12, 2018 by News Staff

Orangutans spontaneously make hook tools out of a straight piece of wire, using them to ‘fish’ for food. Laumer et al show that orangutans can spontaneously...

Leaves and young shoots of hongyacha. Image credit: Ji-Qiang Jin et al, doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b03433.

Hongyacha: Caffeine-Free Tea Plant Discovered in China

Nov 12, 2018 by Sergio Prostak

Hongyacha, a new type of wild tea plant from the mountains of southern China, contains little or no caffeine, according to a study published in the Journal...

A new study by Auersperg et al supports previous studies on Goffin’s cockatoos showing that they can not only select, but create different tools depending on the task at hand. Image credit: Goffin Lab, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

Goffin’s Cockatoos Can Manufacture, Manipulate Tools of Different Length

Nov 9, 2018 by News Staff

An Indonesian species of parrot known as the Goffin’s cockatoo (Cacatua goffiniana) can tear a cardboard sheet into long strips as tools to reach food,...

A rare triple-hybrid warbler. Image credit: Lowell Burket.

Rare Triple-Hybrid Warbler Spotted in Pennsylvania

Nov 8, 2018 by News Staff

A three-species hybrid warbler found in Pennsylvania is the offspring of a hybrid warbler mother and a warbler father from an entirely different genus...

An African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) swimming in a tank. Image credit: Celia Herrera-Rincon / Tufts University.

Wearable Drug Delivery Device Helps Frogs Regenerate Their Hindlimbs

Nov 7, 2018 by News Staff

A team of scientists from Tufts University and the University of Florida has found that delivering progesterone to an amputation injury site can induce...

The Inaccessible Island rail (Atlantisia rogersi). Image credit: Peter G. Ryan.

Scientists Crack Mystery of World’s Smallest Flightless Bird: Inaccessible Island Rail

Nov 5, 2018 by News Staff

Inaccessible Island, the westernmost of three islands in the Tristan Archipelago, is located about 2,250 miles (3,600 km) east of Porto Alegre, Brazil,...

Polar bears’ habitat and food sources are shrinking at an alarming rate. Image credit: Skeeze.

WWF Study Shows 60% Decrease in Vertebrate Population Counts

Nov 5, 2018 by Sam Sander Effron

It is no secret that climate change and environmental negligence have been worsened by human activity and accelerated industrialization over the past century,...

The Natewa swallowtail (Papilio natewa). Image credit: Greg Kerr.

Lepidopterists Discover New Swallowtail Species on Fiji

Nov 2, 2018 by News Staff

A beautiful new species of swallowtail butterfly has been discovered on the Pacific Island of Vanua Levu, Fiji. The Natewa swallowtail (Papilio natewa)....

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